


Playing For Keeps

by LisaBasil



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Brief Drinking, F/F, Las Vegas AU, Minor Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-17 18:31:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4676963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LisaBasil/pseuds/LisaBasil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the owner of a high end casino, Celestia Ludenberg learns that a visiting princess has been costing her money with a ridiculous win streak. When a plot to get rid of her goes a little too well, the gambler attempts to make amends via a tropical getaway, which leads to Celes developing feelings for Sonia. But when two suitors make her life hell, Celes realizes that if she doesn't play her cards right, she'll lose the one person in the world who has ever made her happy. But what gambler is without a few tricks up her sleeve?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trouble in Versailles

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! Welcome to Playing For Keeps, my first AO3 fic! I'm really excited to get this story going, I've put it off for months, and it's been long enough, I think! And I'm really excited, especially since I love Celes/Sonia, and I want to get as many people into it as I can.
> 
> Okay, a few quick things-this is a non Despair AU, and the characters are older, meaning legal gambling and drinking age. Also, characters are listed in order of signifigance-if a character doesn't appear for more than a chapter or two, I didn't list them, since it's more along the line of a cameo. And Celes and Sonia will alternate POV-Celes' goes first, however.
> 
> Finally, before heading out, I wanna dedicate this story to my best friend Shiro, who got me into this ship in the first place. You guys better thank her, because if not for her, this story wouldn't exist.
> 
> Okay, I'll leave you guys to the story now. Please enjoy Chapter One, and I promise to update ASAP!!

The Château de Versailles Casino and Resort had only existed for six months, yet already it had a reputation as one of the most grandiose and luxurious casinos that Las Vegas had ever seen. The resort consisted of four structures: the massive main building, dubbed "the Palace" by many visitors, two smaller buildings identical to each other that were situated several meters in front, and a large wall that surrounded the whole area. Indeed, this resort was an exact replica of the real Versailles in France, though inside the brick walls the typical fare of Sin City was given an elegant twist. The large wall was not actually a wall; it was a parking garage, disguised so as to create the illusion that one had travelled to a completely different time, one where Marie Antoinette still lived and the aristocracy of France still ruled. The two small buildings were for gambling, with one building on the left reserved entirely for slot machines, and the building on the right for table game such as card and dice games. The Palace itself was the hotel and resort, packed with two auditoriums, a spa and fitness center, an entire floor dedicated to conference rooms, five star restaurants and sundry coffee shops, and twenty floors of rooms that made the Venetian suites look like the rooms of a cheap motel. It had cost millions to build, and a year for its completion, but in just six months Versailles had not only earned back all it had cost, but plenty more on the side.  
It was all thanks to the owner of the place, a beautiful woman known as Celestia Ludenberg. Not much was known of her past, only that upon graduating college in Japan she had toured Europe, then finally decided to reside in Las Vegas. It was also known that she was a renowned gambler, starting in high school and eventually earning the funds for her resort all on her own. Rumors spread, of course, about how she could've been a secret daughter of some mobster family, of how she could be some movie star who faked her death, of how she was actually a princess of some unknown country. No one knew for sure who she really was, all they had to go on was the former information that had been printed on the back of menus in one of the restaurants, appropriately named Celes. Every so often Celes herself could be seen walking through the casino, or out shopping, bringing along a portly young man who no one wanted to believe was her lover. Whoever he was he never got nearly the attention Celes did, with good reason. Celes was beautiful, with long black hair in twintails, curled and flawless, skin so white it could pass for marble, bright red eyes that glistened in the Palace's lights, and a petite figure that made ger look rather doll-like. She was always impeccibly dressed in black clothes, a gothic lolita fashion popular in Japan, which made sense considering she had schooled there. She was mysterious, she was elegant, she was everything that Versailles embodied.  
And today, she was seething.  
In her suite, which was roughly the size of a penthouse apartment, Celes sat in her office, one hand drumming the fingers on the black ebony desk, the other petting her large cat. Grandbois Cheri Ludenberg mewed lazily, turning his head to look at the object of his owner's irritation. The man in front of the desk adjusted his glasses, only to have them slowly slide down his nose again due to sweating so much. The combined glares from both his boss and her pet did nothing to calm his nerves.  
Hifumi Yamada had been Celes' assistant for years, ever since they had started an odd relationship in high school-odd in that it was technically a friendship, but not exactly. He was certainly the closest thing Celes had to a friend, but more or less their relationship was more along the lines of a Disney villainess and her henchman. Not that Yamada minded; he was always more than happy to serve Celes however he could. The pay was excellent, and she had built a manga and comic shop inside the Palace (though of course she insisted it had been built because she liked them, but Yamada had a 100% discount on every item, as well as first looks at upcoming shipments). But her temper was the most terrifying thing he had ever had to experience, and he had the sneaking suspicion that it was the cause of his anxiety. Such was the life of her assistant, but again, he didn't mind…well, not 90% of the time. The 10% of the time where he stood before her, inciting her wrath with bad news…that was when he minded very, very much.  
"Now," Celes said evenly, her voice dripping with ill-concealed rage. "Tell me, again, how much we've lost since Friday."  
Yamada gulped, adjusting his glasses again before clasping his hands in front of him. "W-well, Celestia-dono," he replied, grateful that when they were alone he could speak his first language, Japanese. "Well, Fukawa-dono, in ac-ac-ack!!"  
The hand that had been drumming on the desk had formed a fist and pounded down, rattling the tea set there and causing Grandbois to leap out of her arms with a yelp. Celes glared daggers at Yamada, veins in her eyes now visible and adding to the terrifying effect she wanted to achieve.  
"Accounting! Accounting, dammit!" All class and grace had given way to pure unadulterated fury. "Stop your fucking stutter, and tell me how much money I'm losing!!"  
Yamada had taken a step back, his entire body trembling. "Half a million!! She said you lost half a million!!!"  
There was a frightening silence as Celes stood, not taking her evil eye off Yamada for a single second. "Get me Fukawa," she ordered through clenched teeth. "We're going to figure this out."  
\------  
The way many casinos are set up is that the house always wins. Of course, people get lucky, and this woman walks away with a couple thousand, that man cleans out with another few grand, but all that is pure strategy. People hear stories of money and luck and rush to the place that made it happen, and play until they're bled dry. The alcohol, the shows, all of it is gimmicks to keep people playing and to keep pocketing their money, and at the end of the day the house makes a profit.  
However, half a million dollars had vanished, meaning someone was cheating, or many people were incredibly lucky. Either way, to lose such a vast amount in just two days was abnormal, and needed to be investigated. Which was why the hapless accountant Fukawa was brought to the office, biting her thumbnail as Celes looked over the math.  
"Damn!" The sudden ouburst made Fukawa squeak in surprise. Working for a woman like Celes took a heavy toll on her nerves. She shivered as Yamada did, in the exact spot that he had been shortly before. Celes glared at her accountant. "The numbers add up!"  
"Well of c-course they d-do," Fukawa replied. "I'm not s-s-stupid!"  
"No, but you'll be out of a job if you don't watch that tongue of yours."  
Fukawa shut up, watching Celes warily. She stood, beginning to pace in thought. "How? How could we have lost so much? Who is responsible?!"  
"M-Miss Ludenberg?"  
"What?!"  
"Gah! There is one possibility…."  
"Well? Out with it!"  
Fukawa looked at Yamada, who brought a laptop onto Celes' desk. Opening it he started it up, explaining as he did so, "While bringing Fukawa-dono here I contacted Fujisaki-dono, who went onto the security footage. This is from Saturday evening."  
He opened a program, showing a group of white blondes all together at dollar slot machines As Celes watched in horror, one jumped up excitedly, having hit a jackpot of $1,000, and another won a few hundred. Somehow the group kept repeating the cycle, winning over and over and screaming and cheering in some foreign language.  
Celes couldn't believe her eyes. The footage went on for twenty minutes, and in that time the group had collectively won $100,000.  
"What…the hell…"  
Yamada closed the laptop. "We did some research. On Friday evening a group of 100 people checked in, and it turns out they're all from Novoselic, a country overseas."  
"One…hundred…" Celes stared straight ahead, a look of pure disbelief etched onto her face. Yamada nodded.  
"Yes. And they have won, so far, a grand total of half a million. They're all, uh, very lucky."  
Fukawa snorted. "Yeah, like that Ko-"  
"No!!!" Celes had snapped back to reality, startling the two before her. "We do not dare bring that name up in Versailles!"  
Yamada bowed, apologizing frantically, while the not Catholic Fukawa crossed herself. Celes turned to Yamada, composure quickly regained. "And why, pray tell, are they here?" This madness had to be stopped at the root of it all. Find the person responsible, and use them to resolve the losses.  
Yamada handed Celes a photo from the footage. "Taken by Fujisaki-dono." The picture was zoomed in on one of the blondes, though something about this girl set her apart. Her clothes were fancier, and Celes swore she had seen her somewhere before. As she continued to study the photo, Yamada flipped through a magazine. Finding a page he presented to to Celes, who looked to it in irritation.  
"Really now, Yamada, is it really the time to show me some comic-" But the magazine wasn't a comic; rather, a tabloid with an article taking up two pages. The title read 'Novoselician Crown Princess to Spend 25th Birthday in Style!' and had pictures of a palace, of the Las Vegas sign, and…wait a minute…  
"That's her!" Sure enough, it was the blonde from the photograph. Looking at her, Celes was taken aback. She was incredibly pretty, almost unfairly so. Silky hair, clear skin…she was something out of an illustration from a book of fairy tales. Celes started to read from the article.  
"This Friday, Sonia Nevermind, Crown Princess of Novoselic, boarded a plane to America, her destination Las Vegas, Nevada, for the ultimate birthday bash! An inside source told us that the princess is taking with her friends, family, and the royal staff, for a fun-filled trip, where they'll be staying at the Château de Versailles. And rumor has it that her fi-"  
Celes tossed down the magazine, lip curled. "Of course," she growled. "Little Miss Perfect Princess just has to have the happy little party with her daddy's money. Naturally. Naturally she'll win everything." Celes crossed her arms, glaring at the photo with contempt.  
A silence filled the room, the three people not daring to speak. Finally, Celes looked up, a smile on her face. The smile, however, made her employees' blood run cold-there was anything but warmth and friendliness in it.  
Celes turned to Fukawa, who stood in a way that conveyed she was ready to run at the drop of the hat. "Touko…" she said, the use of he first name pushing the accountant nearer to the edge.  
"Y-yes?!"  
"You're free to go." Not even one second after the words left her lips Fukawa had taken off, the half hour in that office too much for one day. Yamada watched her go enviously. He quickly snapped back as Celes sat down, the smile now laced with a sinister edge. "And as for you, Hifumi…"  
"Celestia-dono…?"  
Celestia Ludenberg chuckled, looking at the picture yet again. 'Prepare yourself, Princess', she thought smugly. 'It takes a special kind of person to defeat me in a game, and you are nowhere near that calibre.' She tossed her head back and laughed out loud, maniacal laughter that echoed through the suite. Yamada could only imagine what this scheme would do to his anxiety-at this rate he would end up like Fukawa.  
"Oh yes Sonia," Celes said. "I'll make sure this birthday is one you'll never forget."


	2. Let's Be Friends...Best Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, Chapter Two, hot off the press! Took a bit longer than I wanted to get this all typed up, sorry. But I ended up rethinking how wanted to write it, so this is the new and improved result!
> 
> This time, it's Sonia's POV, because nothing is more enjoyable in a love story then getting to see it on both sides. Also, we get another character in there-who, coincidentally, is my all time favorite character, not just in Dangan Ronpa, but out of every fandom I'm in. 
> 
> But enough of that, let's get to the story! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

"And now we just leave the dough out so the yeast will rise...don't worry, I already let a batch sit out before-"

CLICK!

"Looks like O'Malley chose his driver for this shot. If he can make this hole in one go, he'll be in the lead with a bir-"

CLICK!

"Listen, Diane, we are through! Do you know why? I'll tell you why...because the man you love isn't me…it's Lorenzo, my-"

"Ugh!" Sonia Nevermind fell back onto her bed, turning the TV off in exasperation. Despite having cable in the hotel room, there was nothing to watch! Weren't Americans supposed to watch action movies or brain cell-killing comedies? Instead, all that was on were what could only be described as cures for insomnia.  
The princess looked at the clock on her nightstand and sighed; only 2:46 in the afternoon. How dreadful. The only way to avoid her entourage and the paparazzi was to stay in her room, and unfortunately there was nothing to do. The suite she was in had a computer-but unfortunately the wifi wasn't as high class as everything else in the hotel. Her bathroom had a gigantic tub with multiple features that were fun to experiment with…for about an hour, until she got wrinkly and needed to get out. And of course, movies could be rented, but all of them she had either seen or was uninterested in wasting money on.  
So, here she was, staying in her room, trying to kill time before her massage appointment at 4:30. If only her parents had let her celebrate her birthday the way SHE had wanted to…but no, birthdays were always an excuse for politics, and not only did her group consist of 100 people, rather than the 10 she had wanted, but there was also going to be a colossal ball upon her return. And the entire idea behind this trip was to be out of the public eye, even for a little while, but of course one of the massive grouo had blabbed to the wrong person, and the tabloid reporters were waiting outside Versailles for her to step one foot outside the area-fortunately the owner of the resort had barred any press from entering unless on their terms. And if she left to the casinos, she would never be alone-always someone there, never giving her a moment of peace.  
Sonia finally sat up and got off of her bed, going to make herself some tea in the kitchen area. She didn't even make it to the stove before hearing a knock on her door. Groaning in frustration, Sonia slumped to the door, taking a deep breath before straightening her back and masking her irritation. As Crown Princess, you were never allowed to show any real emotion to anyone unless in private, and Sonia had mastered the art. She looked through the peephole, and saw not a party member, not her bodyguard-where in the world was that man, anyway?-but rather an odd little man in a suit and glasses. He looked cute, in an unconventional way, like a hamster man.  
"Um, hello? Is this Princess Sonia Nevermind's room?" He glanced at his phone. "It says here that it is…is there anyone here?"  
Sonia reached for the doorknob, but halted. She had already dealt with kidnapping schemes and assassination attempts before, which was why she relied so much on her bodyguard to keep possible adversaries away. But he had vanished, so this man could be anyone. But he looked trustworthy-he could very well pass for some hamster or guinea pig. It couldn't hurt to at least ask.  
"Ye-ahem!" She cleared her throat, attempting to deepen her voice. "Hello! This is the princess' bodyguard! Who the hell are you?!"  
It seemed to work, as now the hamster man looked more nervous than he had before. "Um, h-hello! My name is Hifumi Yamada! I am the vice president of the Château de Versailles Resort and Casino! Er, I should like to speak with the princess about coming with me to-"  
"WHAAAAAT?! How could you possibly ask for her to come with you? You haven't had a background check run, or anything!" It was a bit mean to play a nasty trick on the poor man, but Sonia had been so bored…a small joke couldn't possibly hurt, could it?  
Poor Yamada was sweating now. "W-well, um, you see, I do have my ID here, if you want t-to see it…"  
"I would, actually!!" Sonia covered her mouth to hide a laugh as he fumbled with his wallet, so desperate to get this over with. When he flashed the ID, Sonia decided it was time to stop playing games.  
"It's all right now," Sonia said, in her regular voice. "I believe this man is who he says he is."  
"But Your Grace! Surely we should at least-"  
"No, I said it was fine! Now, I shall go talk to him, and you wait here." She made a grumbling sound, tgen opened the door and closed it the second she got out of the hallway. Her throat hurt from having to sound so deep…well, that was her punishment for the prank. She smiled at Yamada. "My apologies-my bodyguard can get a bit too overprotective sometimes."  
Yamada shook his head, smiling despite the fact that he looked ready to faint any second. "Not at all," he replied weakly. "I'm sure someone high profile as you must be incredibly cautious."  
"Oh, certainly! Now, Mr. Yamada, what was it that you wanted to see me about?"  
"Er, yes! Um, you see, well, my boss, Cele-I mean, Miss Ludenberg, she heard you were staying here a-and wanted to greet you p-p-personally."  
His stutter returned as he spoke about his boss…that wasn't the best sign. But, then again, it meant something to do today. She could handle meeting Miss Ludenberg. "Really? My, what an honor! I would be more than happy to meet her." The relieved look on Yamada's face turned her smile that much more genuine. "But wait…do you mean right now?"  
Yamada turned even paler than he had been during the prank, which hadn't seemed possible. "Er-well, that is, uh, if you don't have any plans-"  
"Not until 4:30!" Sonia's instant response surprised even herself, but really, meeting with the owner of this resort was much better than flipping through channels until then. "I'm ready right now, actually!"  
Yamada beamed, taking what could only be described as a stance that some anime hero would use before going into battle. What an odd fellow, Soniahad to bite her lower lip from giggling.  
"Excellent! Follow me, Your Highness, and we shall meet Miss Ludenberg post haste!"  
Finally, her day was going in the right direction! Away from the crowd, away from the press, away from her hotel room, even if for a short while, it was something! As the two walked to the elevator, Sonia had a wide grin on her face. Nothing could possibly go-no, don't finish that thought! There was always room for a problem of some sort.  
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!!!"  
And there it was.  
As Yamada turned around, he found himself face to face with what was arguably the scariest man he had ever seen. Being over six feet tall and incredibly muscular was bad enough, but this man had blue lightning bolts coming out of his eyes, and a look of pure rage on his features. Yamada screeched in terror, backing into the wall in order to get as much distance from the behemoth as possible. Sonia, however, had a different reaction.  
"Nidai! Where have you been? It's been over an hour!" The prodigal bodyguard turned to the princess, Yamada still frozen in terror. "Well, I was taking a sh-no, a cra-a du-" He sighed. "I was relieving myself!"  
Sonia frowned, crossing her arms. "I know you have a condition, but could you please at least inform me first? I had no idea what happened to you!"  
Nidai had been her bodyguard for only four months, and she really did like him-she would have to, in order to put up with his quirks. The medical condition was understandable, he needed to use the bathroom fairly often, but the way he talked about it was so crude, which of course was anything but suitable for an employee of the royal family. He was a good man, though, and was trying to correct it, but there were always slip-ups. That, and the fact that one look at him would make even the most hardened assassin have second thoughts made him indisposable.  
"Forgive me, Your Grace! That was incredibly foolish of me!" Another issue was Nidai's volume-even his indoor voice could get him kicked out of a library. "I didn't realize someone would arrive while I was gone!"  
Sonia shook her head. "You need to be more careful! You know that since Sakura is off on her honeymoon, you're the only bodyguard I have available." She never wanted to be in another kidnapping ever again. The thought of having her life on the line, her parents terrified for her…it was too much.  
Nidai softened as he saw his employer's dejection. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."  
Sonia smiled, quick to mask the memory's pain. "All right. Thank you. Oh! Yes, Nidai, this is Hifumi Yamada. Mr. Yamada, my bodyguard, Nekomaru Nidai."  
"The pleasure is all mine!" Nidai boomed, grasping Yamada's hand and shaking it. Yamada smiled weakly.  
"Nice to m-meet you…"  
"Whaaat?! Your voice is too soft! Try aga-"  
"Actually," Sonia interrupted. "We really should be going. The owner is waiting on us."  
Nidai raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so? Then let's get going!"  
Yamada pressed the up button, wiping his forehead with his hand. "Yes….let's please get this over with."  
\----------  
The personal suite and office of Celestia Ludenberg was absolutely breathtaking, and Sonia had only seen two rooms of it. The hallway itself was draped in red and black velvet, with small black chandeliers lighting it all. Paintings of Celes were hung on either side, both in the style of Holbein. It was almost as if he had been called back from the dead to paint them. And right behind the door Yamada opened was Celes' office, which was even more elegant. This room's white walls looked made of porcelain, and had a beautiful contrast with the black marble tiles on the floor. A gigantic black chandelier hung from the ceiling, which had red roses painted all along the edges. The walls also had a few pictures and paintings, along with a large mirror with gold frame. And on the wall opposit the hall door was a giant stained glass window, designed in the form of roses and thorny vines. Directly in front of that was a large desk of black mahogany, with various papers and a dainty china tea set. And seated at said desk was none other than Celestia Ludenberg, who immediately smiled upon seeing Sonia enter the room.  
Sonia had to admit, Miss Ludenberg was beautiful. Her pale skin and dark hair complimented each other, as did her red eyes. And her clothing! So elegant! She looked more like a princess herself than the owner of a casino.  
The woman in question stood up, smiling warmly. "So, you are Princess Sonia Nevermind," she said, picking up the corners of her skirt and performing a regal curtsy. "It is an honor to be hosting you, Your Grace."  
Sonia curtsied in return. "Oh, the pleasure is all mine, Miss Ludenberg! Your resort is so beautiful, just like Versailles itself!"  
Celes put a hand to her chest. "Why thank you for your kind words. And please-do call me Celes." She walked around to the front of her desk, heels clicking on the marble. Celes glanced over to the two men, having been notified by Yamada that the second man was Sonia's bodyguard. "Thank you, Yamada," she said, nodding to him. "You and this gentleman here, why don't you take a seat?" They did so, sitting in two chairs near the door.  
Again Celes turned her attention to Sonia. "So…a little bird told me that this is your twenty fifth birthday celebration, is it not?"  
Sonia nodded. "Yes! My friends and I, we came Friday night and plan on staying all week! It's such a beautiful resort, I just had to come here!"  
"A whole…week…" For a split second Sonia could've sworn she'd seen Celes' eye twitch ever so slightly. But it must've been her imagination, as Celes continued to smile, even taking Sonia's hands in hers. "Well, happy birthday, Your Grace. You know, I'm twenty five myself."  
Sonia gasped. "Really?! What a coincidence!"  
"Indeed. And I sincerely hope to make this birthday of yours as unforgettable as mine was-when is your birthday, exactly?"  
"This Thursday-October 13." She had already made reservations in the Hall of Mirrors, the most acclaimed restaurant in Versailles. Incredibly formal, but her parents were going to fly in and attend.  
Celes' eyes widened. "Why, my birthday is November 23rd! We're rather close then, aren't we?" Celes laughed, a dignified laugh that caused Sonia to laugh as well. She couldn't believe such a lovely person ran a place such as this. Celes seemed more like a friend from school than anything.  
"We must meet for dinner at some point, so I can formally welcome you myself. I believe Yamada told me in his text that you have plans at 4:30? Is there any time today that would work? I mean we could of course go some other day, but the sooner the better, wouldn't you agree?"  
"Oh, yes!" How exciting, to get to spend an evening with someone like Celes! Maybe they would end up becoming close friends, who knew? "I should be available at eight tonight, if that's all right."  
"Oh, it's perfect!" Celes let go of Sonia's hands and went to her desk, looking through the directory of restaurants. "Ah, here we are-the Monochrome. It's not horribly fancy, so you don't need to worry about formal attire. This is a night for us to be friends, after all!"  
Sonia felt absolutely delighted, it was all she could do to keep from hugging Celes right then and there. "That sounds wonderful! I can't wait! Oh-but Nidai, he…"  
"I'm sure I can arrange a seat at the bar," Celes replied with a wink. "Thank you very much, Your Grace, for staying here at Versailles."  
"Oh, but of course! And please-call me Sonia." It wouldn't feel right, being called titles from a friend, so impersonal.  
"All right, Sonia then. And if there is anything at all you need, please never hesitate to ask. Enjoy your massage, and I can't wait for tonight."  
"Thank you, Celes! I can't wait either!" As Sonia turned to leave, she felt like she was floating. To be able to meet such a sweet and wonderful person, it was heavenly. And Celes seemed so genuine too, it was a refreshing break from those who wanted to be her friend for the sake of status. Both the men stood, Yamada holding the door as Sonia and Nidai took their leave.  
As he closed the door after they left the suite, he turned to Celes, who was now sitting down in her chair, massaging her temples. "A whole week! What the hell?! These people are going to bleed me dry! I mean, at least they buy food and drinks and what have you, but I still suffer losses!"  
Yamada adjusted his glasses. "Well, maybe you can convince her to spend time in other places. If you are to be her friend after all…"  
Celes stared at him. "Yamada," she said flatly. "Sonia and I are not friends. We will never be friends. She's nothing but a nuisance who decided to parade in here with all her little friends and take my money! Which is why I need to get her out of here." She stood up and picked up the telephone, dialing a number. "…Hello. Yes, this is Celes…tell me, just to clarify, who is working the bar at the Monochrome tonight?….Perfect! Yes, get me a table for two at eight tonight, and reserve a special place at the bar.…Wonderful. Thank you." She hung up the phone and smiled wickedly at Yamada.  
"W-Wait, Celestia-dono…doesn't…she work tonight?" It took him a second to realize what his boss had planned. "B-But, isn't that a little, I don't know, excessive?"  
Celes clicked her tongue. "Hifumi, my dear boy…you live in Las Vegas, yet you don't seem to know anything about playing a game." She leaned back, crossing her legs. "You see, when you're losing, there are two things you can do. One, you can take what you've got and give in. Just let it pass, let her and her little group keep playing. Maybe they'll play back, maybe they won't, who knows? Just as long as we play it safe. But, we have option two. And that's to keep playing, using all we've got. This plan of mine, it's brutal, yes, but it will almost guarantee victory. The best gamblers don't play to break even." She leaned forward now, her voice lower.  
"The best gamblers play to win. And I am going to win this. Understood?"  
He nodded feebly.  
"Good. Now make me some tea." Celes turned her chair to look out the stained glass, Las Vegas caught in a rose petal, making the city a blood red. "It's a bit of a wait until tonight."


	3. Princesses Gone Wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, chapter three is out! Not only is this one longer than the other two chapters, but it also took longer to update. Sorry about that! And as I'm starting school soon, it may take longer for updates. Sorry! Until then, enjoy this chapter, which features a familiar face who we all know and love...maybe.
> 
> Also, just a special shout out to Shiro again, who gave me the idea of Nidai liking grape juice. She had mentioned it was something he'd drink, and funnily enough I heard a while later that grape juice does help your heart, so there you go.
> 
> Okay, enough talking. Hope you all enjoy chapter three!

One more time. One more goddamned time. One more time that Yamada felt some idiotic urge to turn to her and say, "Celestia-dono, I don't think this is a good idea…" and she would snap. Of all the times for him to doubt her, this was easily the worst. After all, they were already at the Monochrome, Sonia and that ape of a bodyguard were on their way, there was no going back-unless, of course, Celes didn't get her help. But she had already decided this would be the course of action to take, and all Yamada was doing was keeping her from focusing on her scheme.   
"Everything will be fine, Yamada," she said, for what must have been the dozenth time. "Don't you trust me to do what's best for the business?"  
"Well, of course! B-but-"  
"But nothing. If you trust me, that's all there is to it. Now go stand out front and watch for our guests."  
He sighed, but nonetheless left Celes, meaning she could now talk with the real accomplice for tonight's events. Standing from the booth she had seated herself at she walked to the bar, waiting patiently for the bartender to notice her, as she didn't want customers to be kept waiting-doing that would cost patience, and losing patience costed money.  
The Monochrome was easily a standout from the elegant Versailles, as it was rather glitzy, being a high end bar that served gourmet burgers and sandwiches. It also had a unique color scheme-black and white with hints of red on lamps, on seats, on the walls. Electronic dance music always played, no matter the time of day. And there was also the matter of the mascot, a strange little bear called Monokuma, with one half looking like a standard plush white bear, but the other half an evil black bear with a frightening grin and red eye. Despite that it was a popular icon, and in Versailles gift shops you could buy its likeness.   
But the most unique and drawing element of the Monochrome was its owner. The owner of this bar was the last person you'd expect to be a mixologist, but she had gotten a degree in her spare time and was actually rather good. In fact, though known as a famous model, Junko Enoshima would work at this bar when not off doing shoots or something else. Celes had known her in high school, and both girls rather liked each other, enough that Celes took a risk and invested in Junko's bar. Luckily it was a smart move, as the Monochrome brought in big business.  
It was also a smart move, considering Junko's secret side business, one she had let Celes know of. And the reason why Celes was here tonight.  
Turning, Junko grinned as she spotted her boss, and strode over. Her peach colored hair was in low pigtails, both tied with her trademark Monokuma barettes. She wore a bright red halter top and black miniskirt, showing off as much skin as she could get away with. Junko knew her presence here was what brought people in, and she milked it for all it was worth. She leaned on the bar, grinning.  
"Well, well, so Her High and Mighty finally shows up to my bar, eh? Finally get that stick out of your ass and figure this place good enough for you?"  
Celes didn't bother to look at Junko, rather inspecting her manicure. "Oh please. This place will never fully meet my standards for cuisine. My standards for liquor, however, I trust can be met-that is…" She paused, staring Junko in the eye. "If there really is a secret menu that I could test."  
Junko's eyes widened, but her grin got louder as she leaned in close. "Just so happens, I do have such a secret menu. Costs ya, though."  
Celes shrugged. "Whatever the cost may be. But it's not for me."  
"Well d'uh! It's for some poor sap you're meeting tonight, huh? Luckily I have my secret menu right here!" Pulling her smartphone out of her cleavage (Celes would need to educate her on proper storage when on the clock later), she tinkered with it before handing it to Celes. In a memo pad was a list of drugs, with prices next to them. "Junko's Boost Bar-packs a bigger punch than a Jamba Juice smoothie!" The model smiled victoriously, hands on her hips. Monopolizing on the trend of spiking drinks and having no qualms about it made Junko a very valuable asset to tonight, as Celes' plan to get rid of her unwanted guests relied on every factor going right. And with Yamada showing reservations there was no room at all for error.   
Celes looked up. "I don't know what to choose…whatever you suggest?"  
"Well…what do you need?"  
"Two different things, really. Two people will be joining me soon-a girl with blonde hair, and a large man-"  
"Okay, large can mean literally anything."  
"You'll know when you see him. Anyway, he'll sit at the bar, she'll sit with me, and then I-"  
"Celestia-dono!"  
Before Celes was able to finish, Yamada had somehow materialized beside her. "They're here-or, they will be. I saw them coming towards us-"  
"Then why aren't you out there to greet them?!" Celes snapped, angered at being interrupted. "Get out there and bring them in!"   
Yamada nodded meekly, then scurried off as fast as he possibly could go. Celes sighed, turning back to Junko. "Anyway…"  
Junko raised a finger to stop her. "Listen, boss. You should get ready for this. Just input what you want from me in this memo…" She took the phone and switched to a blank memo screen. "…and I'll know what to do. Payment comes later."  
Celes smiled, quickly typing what she required and handed the gadget back. "What an unusual side business you have," she observed.  
Junko shrugged. "When there's a demand, you need to supply. Besides…there's just something so…so satisfying, about knowing what my job does to someone." She laughed rather wickedly, and Celes decided it was time to get away from this woman. Some things were better left unknown.   
She had just sat down when she saw Yamada approaching, bringing along the two people. She glanced at Junko, who eyed them and nodded to Celes. Hopefully her instructions were clear enough.   
"Celes!" Sonia rushed to her new friend, hugging her in greeting. Awfully informal for a princess, but Celes was to busy calculating to be bothered by it. Sonia was dressed informally as well-a green halter top and dark blue jeans, which was quite the contrast to Nidai's suit and tie. And she was practically glowing with joy-Celes doubted Sonia's smile could get wider.   
Celes gave a quick squeeze to make the hug seem genuine on her part, then pulled away and smiled. "Why Sonia, I'm glad you could make it. And right on time, too." She nodded to the bodyguard. "Hello, Nidai. There's a special place at the bar for you. Anything you drink tonight is on me."  
"Why thank you, Miss Celes!" He said, heading to the bar. Celes, meanwhile, turned to Sonia. "Well then, shall we sit down?"  
\------------  
Junko checked her phone one last time, before tucking it away and facing the guy who sat down. When Celes had said he was large, she wasn't fucking around, that's for damn sure.  
"Hey there, Tiger," she said, putting on her most enticing smile. "What'll it be?"  
"Do you have grape juice?"  
"What…"  
"Grape juice! Do you have any?"  
Junko blinked. "No…no we don't have grape juice…" Who the fuck drank grape juice anymore? "We have wine, though, which is grape juice but with alcohol." And for folks who weren't twelve.  
Nidai shook his head. "No thank you then! Water should be just fine!" Fuck. In order for this to work he had to drink something with alcohol in it.   
Junko pursed her lips in thought. "Aw, you sure? Wine's just the thing to help you relax! Cheap, good for the heart, people stomp it with their feet…"  
"Wait-what was that?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, ain't you ever seen I Love Lucy? They stomp 'em and-"  
"NO! Before that!" His voice became softer. "About the heart."  
Junko raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah. Good for the heart. I heard some study found that drinking a glass of wine each night helped your heart. Maybe even help you live longer? I dunno." Why did this guy care anyway? Unless…he had a heart problem. That explained the grape juice.  
Nidai rubbed the back of his neck, mulling it over. "But you see, I've never exactly had a drink before."  
Junko smiled. Just one little thing had turned him totally vulnerable, totally open to anything. How perfect. "Aww, it's okay, hon. I'll give you a red wine, just one, and you can go from there. I'll even add a stopper so you don't feel the alcohol too much. It should really help that heart of yours." She winked at him.  
"If you think so...then I'll try it!"  
Junko nodded, off to make the drink. Her back to Nidai, she glanced to see if he was watching her-but he had turned to watch the princess. Smirking evilly, Junko added in one of the "boosts" from her secret menu, chuckling as she did so. One down, one to go.  
\-----------  
"Celes? Is everything all right?"  
"Hm?" Celes looked back at Sonia, unaware that she'd been watching the bar so long. She felt less nervous now, as she finally saw Nidai drink down the glass of wine, and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, I was just inspecting that bodyguard of yours. He's worked for you how long now?"  
"Oh, four months. My newest bodyguard, he's a dear."  
"Newest? So there are others?"  
"I have two. Sakura is my original bodyguard, but she married her girlfriend Aoi a week ago and is on honeymoon. Which is why only Nidai is here with me. My parents wouldn't have let me travel without one."  
Celes tilted her head in slight confusion. "But you're twenty five, correct? I understand the need, but you'd think you could make decisions yourself."  
Sonia shook her head, smiling sadly. "That's just it, I can't make them myself. They always have to go through someone else first…it's the price of being a princess, I suppose. This trip wasn't supposed to be this grand, anyway."  
"Oh?"   
She nodded. "I had only wanted ten people to come, but my parents added so many to the list…which meant going to different hotels would be impossible." She sighed, resting her head on her hand. "I just never get to do anything the way I want to. And I know how selfish that sounds, really! But I just-"  
"You just want more from life than what's been given to you." Celes was shocked to hear herself reply to Sonia, but it struck a nerve with her. Having to remember the way her life was, how it could've gone had she not gotten away…  
She was…she was sympathizing with Sonia. The same girl she was trying to ruin.  
Sonia's eyes widened. "You-you understand…! That's all I could want, is to be able to get away sometimes. It's why I was so grateful for tonight, finally getting away from it all…" She smiled at Celes, taking her hand. "Thank you…"  
CRASH!!!  
Celes ignored the sudden pang in her stomach and turned to the noise, her mind back onto her plan as she saw Nidai collapsed on the floor, looking around in a daze.  
"Oh my! Nidai!" Sonia had gotten up and kneeled down by his side. "Are you okay?!"  
The bodyguard stared at her, eyes hooded as he fought to stay awake. "P-Princess….I…wine, I…"  
Celes walked over. "My, all this from a glass of wine?" She looked up at Junko, who feigjed perfect innocence.  
"A-All I did was give him one glass! A stopper too! He's so big, I thought he wouldn't feel it much..but he said he never drank before…oh, why didn't I listen?!" She sniffled, and Sonia shook her head.   
"Oh no! It's not your fault! I guess some people really can't hold their liquor…"  
Celes looked up, seeing Yamada standing near. "Yamada, please help Nidai up…"  
"Maybe…" Sonia spoke up. "Could you take him to his room? He needs to rest…"  
Celes was taken aback. "But, protection-"  
"I'll be fine for one night…he needs to recover from this. Poor thing…"  
"Ngh…s'fine, I can…woah!" Nidai stumbled, almost knocking Yamada over. Junko looked to a waiter.   
"Mondo, help him out, huh?" He nodded, helping Yamada walk Nidai out of the bar.   
Sonia and Celes watched, then Celes sighed. "Poor man, hopefully he'll be okay. I'll have Yamada stay with him."  
"Thank you," Sonia said, looking at the bar thoughtfully. "You know…I think I should like to try a drink myself…"  
Celes bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Oh? Even after seeing how Nidai handled it?"  
Sonia nodded. "I've had wine and champagne plenty of times before, it really won't be an issue. Plus, I think it will help me relax."   
Celes nodded. "Perhaps we could move to the bar? I wouldn't mind a Chardonnay or two myself."  
The girls made the switch, getting two seats, and instant attention from Junko.  
Celes ordered her drink, and Sonia looked at Junko bashfully. "Um…what would you recommend?"  
Junko grinned. "Not to worry doll, I'll mix you up something sweet." She winked at Celes discreetly and got up to serve the two, giving Celes her drink and Sonia a pink cocktail. Sonia took a tentative sip, her eyes widening.   
"It's so good…" she said, taking another sip. "Just like candy…!"  
Junko laughed. "There's plenty more where that came from, just say the word."  
"Mhm!" Celes watched as Sonia quickly drank her cocktail down and quickly order another. No water in between, no nothing…Junko didn't even need to add anything to this one, Sonia was on her own path of self destruction. Celes felt another sharp pang as she watched Sonia down her third drink, but ignored it. Must be cramps, possibly from lunch. Nothing to worry over.  
By the fourth drink, Sonia was holding onto the bar for dear life, breathing hard and glaring.  
"Y'know what? Fuck my parents. Fffuck em up good." Celes nodded, pretending to be sympathetic yet eating this all up.   
"I can ever do…what I…wannado…'s always wha they wan…fuck that ssshhit! Hey! You!" She pointed at a waiter, some new boy Celes didn't know. "C'mere…"  
He did so, and greeted, "Yeah, what can I-mpmh!" Sonia grabbed him and kissed him hard, holding it for a few seconds before letting go. Giggling she grabbed a napkin and his pen and scribbled her number, sticking it into his pocket before putting her finger to her lips. "Sshhhhhhhush….we cant let im know…'s our secret."  
Not caring who 'he' was, the waiter nodded. "Y-Yes ma'am!" He walked off, stumbling around as if drunk himself. Sonia snorted.   
"Hey! Heeeeey! One more drink!" She held up her empty glass. "Ooone more…!"  
Junko shrugged. "If you say so…" She took it, grinning as Sonia laughed out loud. Celes smiled, deciding that it was time for the final nail in the coffin.   
"Pardon me, Sonia, I'm just going to powder my nose." Sonia was too busy telling the poor fellow next to her about how she hated being a princess in French to care, so Celes stood and slipped off into the bathroom, taking out her cell phonend calling a number. "Yes hello, this is Celestia Ludenberg…mhm, Versailles, yes…well the rule is it's my express permission, and I'm giving you permission to come to the Monochrome tonight. You won't be disappointed."   
She hung up, heading out, and was greeted to the most ridiculous sight. Sonia had gotten up on the bar, and was dancing to the song playing, singing loudly and off both tempo and key, a nd had somehow gotten the waiter from before up there as well. "Singin I looooove rock an roll! So put another dime in the Jukebox, baby!!" It was almost too perfect for words.  
And in less than three minutes, it got even better.  
In flooded the paparazzi, flashes of cameras going off as they invaded the bar, all filming and snapping pictures of Sonia. She gasped, stopping her dance. "N-No…no press! Go!" She waved at them to leave, taking a step back…  
…and falling backwards off the bar into the wall of drinks. Someone screamed as bottles and glasses fell, making so much noise, and Sonia luckily avoided hitting her head on anything. She slid to the floor, covered in cuts from glass and drinks completely drenching her, as bottle after bottle fell around her. She stood up, wobbling to keep balance, but hid her face in her hands as she tried to escape the cameras. Stumbling out of the bar they all pursued her, and Celes nodded to a security guard or two to get Sonia away and the paparazzi out of her resort. The bar was in total silence after that everyone processing what the hell had just happened in just ten minutes. Of course, too wrapped up in their own drinks to care, things slowly went back to normal, save for the damage to the bar, which waiters were now cleaning up.  
Celes walked over to Junko. "I'm awfully sorry about the bar. Whatever you lost I'll repay you."  
Junko laughed. "Are you kidding?! Look at this! It's a total mess in here! It'll take so long to clean up…and some people have to work overtime! Ahahaha!" That made her…happy? Celes didn't care to delve any more into that. Her job here was done. "And that girl! Man, her life is gonna suck, huh?"  
"Ow!" Celes put a hand to her stomach, wincing at the pain again. What the hell…?!  
Junko didn't notice. "Yep, her little party will be all over the news-"  
Another jab.  
"She'll be leaving Vegas a discrace!"  
Another.  
"Not to mention the king and queen finding out…"  
Another!  
Celes groaned. "J-Junko, thank you for the help. Send me your bill, and I'll pay it." She staggered out, clutching her stomach. Why was this happening? She had never felt something like this before. She couldn't be dying, could she?  
No, not dying. Who knew what would happen. All she knew now was that she had won. Sonia and her entourage would be leaving, she wouldn't lose anymore money…it was perfect! Victory was hers!  
Too bad she didn't feel much like celebrating. Clutching her stomach, Celes groaned as she lurched back towards her suite. Maybe tomorrow, she would feel better. But for now, she needed to sleep this off…whatever it was.


End file.
